Fallen
by eyecanread
Summary: Did you just trip me?" Zuko yelled at Katara from his place on the ground. Please let me know what you think. ZK


**A/N: Seriously, I don't know where some of these come from. **

**This takes place between _Boiling_ _Rock_ and _Southern_ _Raiders. _Imagine that span in the Avatarverse as being longer than a week. So, basically this story inserts my imaginereality for what really happened. XD**

**I own no rights to these characters, and I make no profit from this story.

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**Fallen

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*thud* Zuko landed hard on his forearms and knees. He sat down on the ground and turned to the apparent cause of his tumble. "Did you just trip me!?" he yelled hotly.

Katara stood only a foot away looking down at him in amused shock. "No, but that's a good idea. I'll have to remember that one later."

He glared at her for a minute, then an idea caused a mischievous grin to spread on his face. He leaned back on his hands. "I understand, if that's the only way you could get a guy to fall for you."

Her jaw dropped and her eyes flamed with anger. "You did _not_ just say that!"

He got up dusting himself off, still smiling. He held up his hands. "I know things are hard, and choices are limited. I should be flattered, really."

She was speechless again. When she recovered she put her hands on her hips. "Are you saying that I can't get a guy to like me?" She wanted desperately to wipe that grin off his smug face.

He shook his head. "Oh, I'm sure you have your ways." He leaned forward and lowered his voice. "Of course they all result with the guy on the ground."

Her face heated in a deep blush. She didn't want to consider if the blush was from embarrassment, or from the suggestive nature of what he'd said. "That's ridiculous!" she sputtered.

"Uh huh. If you say so." he shrugged. He knew he was getting to her.

"For your information I've had several guys who liked me." she poked a finger at his chest.

"Your brother doesn't count."

"I'm not talking about Sokka!" Her voice was rising again.

"Alright, who then?"

Katara was silent for a moment. She wasn't sure she wanted to delve into that.

"That's what I thought." Zuko pushed the conversation just a little.

She glared at him. "Jet. He was a Freedom Fighter with a deep dislike of the Fire Nation. We got along great."

He knew that last jab was aimed at him. He didn't know she knew Jet. He'd only met the angry young man briefly, but he'd made a memorable impression on him. "Jet? I know him. He's a good man. Honorable and tough. I respect him." She gasped softly and he looked at her startled. She had tears in her eyes. "What?" he asked, wondering what he'd said.

"He was killed in Ba Sing Se by the man who took Appa." She searched his face to see how he'd react.

Zuko's eyes widened and a look of regret passed over him. He shut his eye for a second.

She thought he might cry, but she should've known better. Instead he looked at her intently.

"I could see how you two would've been good together."

Nothing in his tone made it seem like he was trying to be ironic or cutting. She swallowed. "Well, I really liked him, but I was never sure how he felt about me. After our first meeting I felt like he'd only been nice to me so that I would use my powers for his selfish goals. I felt so used."

To her surprise, he chuckled. "I can just imagine what you did to him when you found out."

She looked away. "I wasn't as powerful then as I am now. I was only able to freeze him to a tree."

He smiled knowingly. Too often he'd been the one on the receiving end of her wrath.

He paused for a moment, not sure if he should keep going with this conversation. He hadn't yet made his point so he decided to continue.

Though, this had already gone places he hadn't expected.

"By your own admonition that doesn't prove you can get a guy to like you."

Her ire returned when she looked at him. "Then how about Aang?"

Zuko waved his hand in dismissal. "He doesn't count either because you didn't have to get him to like you. He was head-over-heels from the moment he laid eyes on you."

She harrumphed at him and stood in thought. A scowl darkened her pretty face. Suddenly a light seemed to come on. "Haru!" she said triumphantly.

"The Earthbender? What about him?"

"He didn't like me at first, in fact the first time we met he ran from me. In the end he asked me to stay with him and his family, to help take back their villages."

Zuko cupped his chin with his hand and pondered that for a minute. "Let's go hear his opinion on that."

She looked a little taken aback. "What? Why?"

"Come on." He took hold of her wrist and walked through the corridors searching for the unsuspecting earthbender.

They found him a few minutes later, napping under a willow tree. Katara pulled back on her arm before they approached him.

"He's asleep. We don't need to wake him." She glanced nervously from Zuko to Haru.

Zuko grinned again and let go of her arm. "Are you afraid he's going to contradict your story?"

"No, of course not." she snapped. "I just don't think this needs to continue any further."

"Oh, more than ever I think it does." He saw the question in her eyes, but didn't let her ask it. Instead he turned and walked over to the sleeping man.

Katara stood rooted to her location. She considered running, but she also knew she'd never hear the end of it. She couldn't take it if Zuko won.

"Haru." Zuko said standing over him.

Haru scrunched his eyes then yawned. He stretched and opened his eyes a little to see who'd disturbed him. He squinted into the light. "Zuko?" he was suddenly much more awake. "Is everything alright?" He got to his feet quickly. It wasn't often that the two of them spoke. In fact he didn't think Zuko had ever initiated a conversation with him before. It made him worry.

Zuko shook his head. "Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to get your thoughts on something."

Haru nodded, though still somewhat confused. It was then that he noticed Katara. "Hello Katara." he said in his smooth tenor.

Zuko glanced back and saw her blush. He almost stopped right there.

Almost.

"So Haru, Katara and I were discussing if it were possible for her to get a man to like her, without resorting to violent measures."

Haru looked aghast. "Of course it is! She could have any guy she wanted." he was blushing furiously.

"Is it true that when you met her you ran away?" Zuko asked coyly.

Haru's mouth opened and closed soundlessly. He looked at Katara. "Well, yes. But I didn't know who she was then."

Zuko nodded. "Did you also ask her later, to stay with you?"

The earthbender blushed again and looked at his feet. "Yes. I did."

"Why?" Zuko prodded.

Katara felt it was time to intervene. She came over and stepped between the two men. She looked at Haru and put a hand on his arm. "You don't have to answer that. Zuko's just trying to prove some silly point. I'm sorry he dragged you into it."

Haru looked into her eyes, and put his hands around her upper arms. "I wanted you to stay. I... I wanted you with me." His voice was low and sincere.

Zuko thought he'd deny it. He thought he'd wanted her to stay and help, because of her talent. He didn't know _what_ he thought Haru would say, but not _this_!

Katara couldn't believe it either. She hadn't wanted to ask Haru, because she thought he didn't have any feelings for her at all. It would've lost her the argument. This was just, _wow_.

"Haru." she said softly. She couldn't think of anything else to say. Her mind was reeling.

"I really like you Katara. I have for a long time. For a while I thought I'd never see you again, our lives were too divergent, then your Father showed up at our door. I was ecstatic. When I saw you at the dock I could barely contain myself. But in the next few days, things started to happen so fast that I never found the right time to tell you." he sighed and let his arms drop. "I knew you probably didn't have feelings for me, but when I saw the way Aang looked at you, I knew I didn't stand a chance."

"Oh Haru, I had no idea." she reached up and put a hand on his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into her palm.

Zuko couldn't take it anymore. He had to get out of there before something else happened, or he did something he'd regret. He shut his eyes and scowled. "I'm sorry to doubt you Katara. You win." He bowed formally, and strode away without looking at her.

********

Zuko didn't pay attention to where he was going, he just had to escape. Finally he reached a stony cliff. He paced back and forth in anger. "I'm so stupid." he lamented to himself.

"I agree, but what's it this time?"

Zuko spun, looking up he saw Toph lounging on a high rock eating an apple. "Nothing." he said bitterly.

The petite Earthbending Master lept easily from the rock, to land right in front of him. "Come on now. I don't even have to use bending to know you're lying."

His shoulders sagged. "I did something and it sort of ...backfired."

"Is anyone hurt?" she took a bite of the apple.

He looked at her puzzled for a moment. "Oh. No, it didn't have anything to do with firebending."

"What did you do, then?" She tossed the cleaned core over his shoulder, and it fell silently into the gorge behind him.

He sighed. "I challenged Katara, and then things went horribly wrong."

"She won, didn't she." a grin twitched at the corners of her mouth.

"Yeah. And now I think she's off somewhere making-out with Haru." he shut his eyes in an attempt to block out the images coming into his mind.

Toph's eyes bulged. "Um. Wow. That must've been some challenge."

"I pushed him into saying that he liked her. It was stupid and childish. I should've just come out and... Well, it doesn't matter now. If you don't mind Toph, I'd rather not talk about this." He started to walk past her, back towards the woods.

"Did she say she loved him?" Toph had turned and was facing his back as he retreated.

He stopped in his tracks. "No, but..."

"But nothing!" She cut him off. "She didn't say it. You need to make sure, before you start sending out invitations to your pity party."

He turned back to look at the younger girl. Sometimes it was hard to believe she was just twelve. "Thank you."

She waved her hand. "Don't mention it." She walked over to him and bent a rock up so they were the same hight. "I'm serious. _Don't_ mention it."

He chuckled. "Not a word."

"Good." She paused for a moment then did something very uncharacteristic, she wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

Zuko smiled and hugged her back. "Does this mean you forgive me for burning your feet?"

She pushed him away. "Fat chance." she said grinning.

********

Katara felt like she'd looked everywhere. It was as if Zuko had disappeared, and she was becoming worried he had. She still felt uneasy at his presence within the group, but she was beginning to understand his role. At least when it came to Aang's training.

She didn't know what was up with Zuko today. First he'd accused her of tripping him. Then somehow it'd gone from teasing, to an inquisition and analysis of her love-life!

She shook her head for seemingly the hundredth time. He was so aggravating! Why would he want to torment her like this?

She sighed._ 'I guess I've been seriously hard on him since his arrival. I sort of deserved the pay-back.'_ But that didn't explain his strange behavior today.

She rested on a rock for a moment. Was it just today? He'd been acting a little odd all week. For starters he was always staring at her. She was sure he didn't realize that she'd noticed, otherwise he wouldn't dare do it.

And ever since they'd returned from the prison with her Father he'd almost seemed... happy. It was unnerving to say the least.

"Katara?"

Zuko's sudden voice behind her made Katara jump. She shot up and spun around. "Where have you been!?" she scowled.

A flicker of pain shot through him. This wasn't going to be easy. "I had to think."

"So you disappeared for hours!?"

He looked down for a moment. "I'm sorry." His voice was softer than he intended.

She squinted at him. "Sorry for what you did to me and Haru, or for leaving?"

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Both I guess. And far more." His eyes were saying things she couldn't quite understand.

She didn't want to get into another fight right now, but if he brought up Ba Sing Se prison again, a fight would be inevitable.

"I'm not sorry about getting you and Haru together. I _am_ sorry about how it happened, and all the things I said earlier. It was rude and tactless, and you deserve greater respect than I've shown you today." He bowed to her for the second time today. "You can just add this to the long list of things I'm begging for your forgiveness of."

The pain in his face was obvious now. She didn't know what to say. His asking for forgiveness was nothing new, but for some reason today she felt like she could almost tangibly touch his repentance. It was like a third person in the room holding him down. She had only to sever that link and he'd be free.

The thought of it robbed her of breath.

She hadn't spoken for a good minute. He knew she wouldn't forgive him. _'Why do I even try anymore?'_ There was no real reason to now. She'd made it clear that she couldn't be reached, at least by him.

He cleared his throat. "I won't bother you again. In fact I'll try to stay as far away from you as possible, if that's what you desire. Goodbye Katara." He turned and walked sadly away. He would've liked to run, but he held himself strong. At the very least he still had his pride.

Katara's focus snapped back to what was happening when he spoke that last sentence. She couldn't let him leave! "Haru and I aren't together." She was pleased to see him stop mid-stride.

He turned back to look at her. He was surprised by what he saw; she was looking at him kindly. " But I thought?" he let the rest of that sentence drop.

She cocked her head to the side. "You thought, him telling me he loved me meant that I'd automatically fall into his arms and we'd live happily forever?" she crossed her arms. "Please, give a girl some credit."

He smiled weakly.

"Katara/Zuko." They both began at the same time.

"Ladies first." he motioned her to continue.

"I'm sorry." she said hesitantly.

"Sorry for what?"

"For the way I treated you since you joined us. I can't believe some of the awful things I've said to you."

"Katara you don't have..." she cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"No. Please, I have to say this. Zuko, you don't need to keep asking for my forgiveness." she gave him a tentative look. "You already have it."

He couldn't believe it. Had she just forgiven him? "Katara I..." He didn't know what to say. "Thank you. I won't let you down."

She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. He eagerly returned it.

When they separated she could see a new peace in his eyes. She sighed in contentment. "I really didn't trip you this morning, and I'm sorry you fell."

He took hold of her hands. "I'm not."

She smiled and looked at their hands. She never thought she'd feel this happy and resolved to have him here.

"By the way. I already knew what the outcome of the argument was going to be this morning." he gazed at her meaningfully.

She looked back up to his eyes and could feel his grip tighten slightly on her hands.

"What outcome was that?" she asked and found herself strangely breathlessly.

"You have the ability to get _any_ man to like you with ease."

"Then why did you say those things?" Hurt was surfacing, but she tried not to let it show.

"I like you. I wanted to tell you, show you, for some time. But..."

"But I wouldn't let you get close, or even give a second to listen to you." she closed her eyes in shame.

He let go of her hands and her eyes snapped open. She couldn't read his expression anymore.

"Katara, you may not have tripped me, but I most assuredly fell for you." without another word he turned and disappeared into the trees.

********

She dashed after him. _'How could he say something like that and run off!?'_ Admittedly, her brain had taken a temporary vacation when he'd said it, but she was determined to find him and give him a piece of her mind!

She spotted him not far up ahead, and was upon him a second later. She grabbed his arm roughly and spun him around. "What were you thinking?"

He was surprised, due in no small part to her anger at him again. "Katara..."

She placed a hand over his mouth. "How dare you! What did you tell me that for? Did you think that now that I'd forgiven you, there was a chance you and I..." She shut her eyes in a long blink. Something deep flickered behind her eyes.

Since his mouth was still covered he shook his head. She reluctantly lowered her hand so he could speak. "I only wanted you to know where I stood. I never intended for you to return my feelings. I didn't think you could."

"Oh, so your dictating what I can and can't feel now? If I love Haru, Aang, Teo or _you_ for that matter, what business is it of yours?" she placed her fists on her hips.

His eyebrow quirked up. "No. I'm just saying that's how I feel. You can feel whatever you want."

"Didn't I just get done telling you that even if a guy says he likes me, it doesn't mean I'm going to fall into his arms?"

Zuko's eyes grew wide and he took a step back. She rushed him, tackling him to the ground, and pinning his arms to his sides. "I'll fall into the arms of whomever I want!"

"I didn't..."

"And why did you run off before I had a chance to respond? I thought you were trying to be more courteous now?"

He gave up. "What did you want to say?"

"What if I said; part of the reason your betrayal in Ba Sing Se hurt so bad, was because I'd developed feelings for you? Or that I tried to avoid you here, because I didn't think you felt the same?" her voice became softer and a bit tremulous. "My anger snowballed, I wasn't only angry at you, I was angry at myself."

She leaned her arms on his chest, frustrated tears had formed in her eyes. "I fell too. And it hurt so bad that there wasn't anyone there to catch me."

He wedged his arms out, now that she'd let go of them. He wrapped them around her torso and pulled her to him. "I'm here now. We'll catch each other."

She laid her head on his chest and took a few cleansing breaths. When she'd calmed she lifted her head to look into his eyes. "Zuko, I'm sorry."

There was so much said in those three words. He lifted his head pleading to her to put them both out of their misery. She consented, leaning down to brush her lips against his.

The kiss was soft and tentative. As if this situation was a dream that might stop at any moment. She pulled back smiling.

He smiled back at the promise contained in the kiss. Positive there were many more to come.

She stood and helped him to his feet. Surprise jarred her when he started to snicker. "What?" she asked incredulously.

"Turns out we were both right."

She smiled in confusion. "Right about what?"

"You were correct in saying you could get any guy to like you. I'm proof." He loved the blush that flew to her cheeks. "And I was right. You _did_ resort to violence that had me on the ground."

She turned on him and beat his chest once with a closed fist. "Are you looking to resume that position?" she said, this time in mock anger.

He held up his hands in surrender, then he unexpectedly scooped her into his arms. "If it's with you, it would be my pleasure."

She gasped as she looked up into his amber eyes. "Zuko." she breathed his name. Katara ran her fingers into his shaggy hair and pulled him to her again.

This time the kiss was a little deeper and less restrained.

**End

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**A/N: This _was_ going to be a short (2000 words or so) drabble that I was going to add to _Avatar_ _Shorts_. **

**This _was_ supposed to be just Zuko and Katara having a conversation, with the other characters only being mentioned. **

**It _was_ going to be a funny little fic that was sweet and angst-free. **

**This _was_ going to take only an hour to write. Tops.**

_Conclusion: I FAIL! EPICALLY!

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**I leave it up to you the readers to determine if at the beginning: a) Zuko fell purpose, b) Katara actually did trip him, c) there was Earthbender intervention, d) or it was an accident.**

**I know which one I vote for.

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**This isn't in the _Friends Again _time-line. I'm working on _Journey_, really I am! I just had to get out some of my floating drabbles in the meantime.  
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